We’re being driven parking mad!

WHEN will district parking in Shaw be addressed?

Councillor Howard Sykes has asked the question after describing the situation as a “matter of urgency.”

Oldham Council says the consultation for Shaw district parking scheme is planned to start this month.

But businesses say they are suffering because spaces on the car parks are being clogged up by people who leave their cars for full days — leaving barely any spaces for shoppers.

The Lib-Dem leader says he has been asking council officers for months and cannot get an answer — but is becoming increasingly concerned about vital services being affected.

He said: “Mr McDiarmid who has the chemist business on Market Street in Shaw, is performing a vital service by delivering oxygen cylinders to patients’ homes in order to ease their breathing.

“At the moment he is delayed in providing this service by the physical difficulty of carrying the heavy oxygen cylinders to his transport as he is not allowed to park adjacent to his business property until this matter of district parking, which applies to the public as a whole, is addressed.

“I have asked for an exception to be made in this particular case until a ruling is made but yet again commonsense does not appear to be applied.”

He added that businesses need all the help they can get with regard to parking provision, especially in the current climate.

A council spokesman said that the council is reviewing all district parking in order to come up with an effective solution.

He added: “This has been a complex and time-consuming project but one where effective consultation with all parties is vital.

“The consultation around the Royton District Parking scheme is now completed and we intend to use this as a model of how we go forward with other schemes, including the Shaw District Parking Scheme where consultation is planned to start this month.

“This process has to balance the needs of traders, shoppers and residents as effectively as possible and there will always be a requirement to compromise.

“Mr McDiarmid’s request to reserve a space on-street space will be considered as part of this wider consultation along with many other requests received from local businesses.”

In the interim period the current relaxed parking arrangements will continue.”